Honeycomb-stripper.



. No. 731,701. PATBNTBD 4JUNE 23, 1003;.k

f Y A. 0. MILLER.

HONEYGOMB STRIBPER. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 16. 1900.

a SHEETS-SHEET L N0 MODEL.

INK/ENTER.'

fNQ. 731,701. PATENTED JUNI: 2s,--19o3.

A. c. MILLER.

HONEYGOMB STRIPPER. APPLIUATION r'ILED Dnc. 15, 1900.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

WI I' A155555.'

ayfm i t zo iivor'ramoi.

fPatentedJune 23, 1903.

MATENT GFFICE.

ARTHUR C. MILLER, OF EWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

" HoNEYcoMB-STRlPPR.

SPECIFICATION *forming para of Letters Patent-.Na 731,701, dated June2e, 190s. Application filed Decemberlli, 1"9V0`Q.- Serial No. 39,952.(No model.)

To aJZZ whom it may concern: c Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. MILLER, a

citizen of the United States,residing at Newf` ton, inthe county ofMiddlesex'and State of 5 `Massachusetttahave invented a new and use-`ful Improvement in Honeycomb-Strippers, `of which the following is aspecification.

In the commercial production ofhoney section-frames `are used. These areusually of rectangular form. The wax cells are united atthe center ofthe frame or section and e'X- i tend in opposite directions to theopposite sides, forming two planes of cells. The outer comb. This hasheretofore been 'done bymeans of the uncappingknife. The outei` surfacesofa honeycomb are not a true plane, but form an irregular-surface. Theuncap` ping-knife when used to uncap the cells can- Vnot follow theirregularities of the surfaceand causes loss of honey, even inexperienced hands, by cutting through some of the cells to secure theuncapping of all the cells in the comb.

lThe object of thisinvention is to avoid the loss of honey andfacilitate the uncapping of the cells.

` To this end the invention consists in the peculiar and novelconstruction and combination of a series of yielding cutters whereby`the uncappers follow the irregularities ofV the surface, as will be morefully set forth here inafter. l

Figure l is anend view of my honeycombt stripper, showingtheuncapping-knives in the normal position in solid lines and in the loperative position in broken lines. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same.Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the pivotalconnection `o f the uncapping-knives with the slide and the spring onthe same. Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, ofthe cutting end ofone of the uncappingknives.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inf all thefigures. 4

In the drawings, A indicates the `base, from p which the sides A'A'project. The base A is in the preferred form adapted to be secured toany suitable vertical surface by means of the screws A2 A2, so that thefront is open for the more convenient guiding of the sectionframecontaining the comb. The slides b are provided with the slots b b' andare held to ,the sides A Aby the screws b2 b2 to slide on the sides. Theends of the slides b fb are provided with pins extendinginto slots inthe ends of the arms b3 bwhich are secured one "to each end of the tworock-shafts h4 b4, supported in bearings in the two sides A' A.

`The rock-shafts b4 b4 are also provided at the base ends with the armsb5 b5, having pins on their ouler ends which engage with the grooves inthe slide h6. covering of the two sets of cells requiresto` be removedto extract the honey from the In the drawings the slide bi is showndrawn vout and the uncapping-lknives advanced toward the center.

ln Fig. l the connections of the slide h6 with the armsconnecting withthe rock-shafts b4 are indicated in broken lines.

The uucapping-knives c are pivotally supported on the rods c', whichextend .along the inner sides of the slides Z) b. The springs c2o2engage at one end with4 the groove c3 on the under sides of the slidesb b, are coiled around the rods c', and bear on the upper side of theknives, holding the same in their normal position against the raisedstops clonthe slides.`

The unoapping-knives c are formed, preferably, of sheet-steel bent toform the feelersurface c5 above the hook-shaped cutter edge By thisconstruction the feeler-surface of the knives bears on the wax surfaceof the comb audcontrols the position of the cutting edges of the knivesto follow the irregularity of the outer surface of the honeycomb and outoff the wax closing the cells.

l When myimproved honeycomb-stripper is in use, the comb is passeddownward between the uncapping-knives, which are pressed by the springso2 c2, with the fceler-surfaces c5 bearing on the wax surface and thecutting edges behind the wax'film closing the cells.

In entering and withdrawing the frame or section in which the combissupported the slide b6 may be pushed in, and thereby the rock-shafts andthe arms secured t'o the saine operated to move theslid'esb and the`uncapping-knives farther apart. In practice I find that byhaving thehookshaped cutting edges c6 of the knives c 0blique to the plane of theknives I secure a IOO y 4spring-actuated knives `each independent of theother, and having its cutting edge atan vangle to the plane in which theknife moves on its pivot, the knives being so arranged that the shanksthereof engage the surface of the material that is to be cut orstripped, and serve as a feeler for properly positioning the knife,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of two rows of pivoted spring-actuated knives eachactingindependently and having its cutting edge at an angle to the planein which the knife moves on its pivot, the knives of each row havingtheir cutting edges projecting in toward each other so that the materialentered between the two rows may be cut or stripped upon opposite sides,the knives being so arranged that their shanks act as feelers upon thesurface of the material that is to be cut so that each knife may bepositioned in accordance with the formation of the surface which passesover the shank thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a row of pivoted spring-actuated knives o, actingindependently of each other and having the cutting edge c6 arranged atan angle 'to the plane in which the knife moves on its pivot, the shankof each knife being bent to form a feeler-surface c5, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of two rows of pivoted spring-actuated knives eachacting independently and having its cutting edge at an angle to theplane in which the knife moves on its pivot, the knives of each rowhaving their cutting edges projecting in toward each other so that thematerial entered between the two rows may be cut or stripped uponopposite sides, the knives being so arranged that their vShanks act asfeelers upon the surface of the 6. In a honeycomb-stripper, two rows ofv uncapping-knives having feeler-surfaces and curved oblique cuttingedges, the said rows of knives supported on opposite sides of thedevice, and springs acting on the knives, whereby when a comb is drawnthrough the stripper the feelers control the positions of the knives, asdescribed.

7. In a device of the nature described, the combination with two sidesupports, of slides having capacity to be moved toward and from eachother, of the knives` c c pivotally supported on the slides, springsbearing on the knives, and means for operating the slides whereby theknives may act on the opposite sides of a honeycomb drawn through thedevice to uncap the cells, as described.

8. In a device of the nature described, the combination with the twoside supports A A and the slides b, of a series of uncappingknives,pivotal supports for the knives on the slides,springs bearing on theknives, a feelersurface on the knives, and oblique hookshaped cuttingedges on the knives, whereby each knife is held against and follows thesurface of the comb to guide the cutter, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, J r., B. M. SIMMS.

